April 16, 2024 - The Miss Shelby County Pageant 2024 Honors The Pageant Legacy of Mrs Tonya Simmons Bailey Saturday, April 20th at The John D. Windham Civic Center at 1pm.
Tonya Simmons Bailey started competing in pageants when she was a toddler. The first time she was on television was when she was four years old. Tonya and her mom, Lila, were flown to New York City to talk about kids and pageants on The Art Linkletter Show. Tonya was always a natural when it came to being the center of attention, which led to modeling for several department stores, including Macy's.
When she was a high school senior, she decided that Center needed something more for the young girls of Shelby County and started the first Miss Shelby County Pageant. She looked forward to the pageant every year; she loved the planning, production, and overseeing every aspect of the pageant. She was not only the director but also an inspiration for so many young women all over the county, giving them the opportunity to make new lifelong friends while sharing their inner and outer beauty. She was a legend.
So many children were part of the Miss Shelby County Pageant, Miss And Mr. Pumpkin Patch, Little Miss Merry Christmas and Mr. Happy Holidays, The Watermelon Festival Pageant, and Toddlers and Tiaras. The Pageants were not only for the kids but also for her. She loved giving her time and attention to them; for that, she will always be a legend in Shelby County.
Tonya passed away on July 1, 2018, from Cancer, but she is loved and remembered for what she shared with the community.
